Religious observance
Graph 12 shows that two in three (66%) of young male and female respondents identified as Sunni and one in ten (11%) as Shi’a, with one in five (21%) identifying as Muslim per se without specifying further.
Graph 12. Religious Affiliation of Respondents
Most of those surveyed indicated that they were religiously observant, for example praying five times a day, attending a mosque, fasting during Ramadan, and/or wearing the hijab. Graph 13 shows that most of the young Muslim men and women surveyed reported that they prayed five times a day. This is perhaps consistent with a sample of young Muslim Australians recruited among attendees to the Sydney Eid festival. This high result may also reflect a tendency of encouraging the regular observance of prayer and other devotional practices during the month of Ramadan.
Graph 13. Regularity of Respondent Praying by Gender (%)
It is also interesting to see this incidence of religious observance varies according to the age of respondents, As Graph 14 shows, the incidence of praying five times a day is greater for the
18‐25 year old cohort than the 15‐18 cohort.
Graph 14. The incidence of praying by age of respondent (%)
In deed most of those surveyed (95%) attend a mosque, as Graph 15 shows. Again, this survey would have picked up on the high numbers of young people attending the mosque in the previous month, when it is common for individuals and families to attend the special congregational ‘Tarawih’ evening prayers in Ramadan. Graphs 16 and 17 show the geographic spread of the mosques attended by respondents. These are spread across western and southwestern Sydney, once again an indication of the geographic breadth of survey respondents. The results also revealed that the majority of young Muslim men and women (93%) observe the Ramadan fast (Graph 18). Gender was not significant in this regard. The overwhelming majority of young Muslim men and women also ate halal food (79%), with no significant difference with age or gender (Graph 19).
Graph 15. Attendance at a Mosque
Graph 16. The Main Mosque/s and/or Prayer Room Usually Attended by Respondents (%)
Graph 17. Location of Mosques Attended by Respondents
Graph 18. Respondents Who Fast during Ramadan
Graph 19. Respondents Who Eat Halal Food
As
Graph
20
shows,
half
(49%)
of
the
young
Muslim
females
surveyed
reported
that
they
wear the
hijab
while
one
in
eight
(13%)
do
not.
We
also
asked
respondents
if
the
scarf
that
Muslim
women
wear
creates
a
misunderstanding
between
Muslims
and
non‐Muslims.
One
in
four
(26%) of
those
young
women who
wore
the
scarf
responded
in
the
affirmative,
as
did
a
similar
number (19%)
of
those
young
women
who
did
not
wear
the
scarf
(Graph
21).
On
the
other
hand,
the majority
of
those
young Muslim
females
surveyed
(three
out
of
every
four)
did
not
think
that the hijab
creates
a
misunderstanding
between
Muslims
and
non‐Muslims.
This
could
be
interpreted
as
a
measure
of
Australian
society’s
(or
at
least
in
some
parts
of
Sydney)
acceptance
of
the
hijab,
a
measure
of
Muslim
social
inclusion.
However,
the
fact
that
one
in
four
of
the
young
Muslim females
surveyed did
think
it
caused
problems
suggests
there
is
room
for
considerable
improvement
in
this
regard.
Graph 20. Young Muslim Women who Wear the Hijab
Graph 21. Respondent Views on if the Hijab Creates Misunderstanding between Muslims and
Non‐Muslims
Note: The remainder of responndents did not answer this question.
Being a Muslim young person not only meant having links to Muslim organizations for religious observance, but also belonging to Muslim organizations for social purposes. Graph 22 shows that a slight majority of young Muslim women surveyed (57%) belonged to a Muslim organisation, a similar rate of membership to that of young Muslim men (60%). This cannot however, be construed to support the argument that young Muslims are isolated from mainstream Australian society. As Graph 23 shows, one in four young Muslim women (26%) and nearly one in two young Muslim men (43%) belong to non‐Muslim organizations.
Graph 22. Belonging to Muslim Organizations by Respondent Gender
Graph 23. Belonging to Non‐Muslim Organizations by Respondent Gender
The kinds of activities that the youth who joined Muslim organizations engaged in were also explored. Graph 24 shows that these range from university or school based societies to national and locally based organizations. One percent (1%) was involved in web‐based groups and 6% were involved in international societies. Young people identified socialising, understanding the Muslim religion better and a sense of belonging as the best things they got out of this involvement (Graph 25). Respondents indicated multiple answers.
Graph 24. Types of Muslim Organization/s Respondents Belong To/Participate In
Note: there are many respondents that put down more than one organisations in their answers and these organisations fall into different categories and the right wheel reflects this. ‘Support’ means getting support from others involved in organizations’ activities or offering support to others.
Graph 25. The Best Thing/s Respondents Associated with Belonging to These Muslim
Organizations
70%
60%
SO%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
61.%
2%
